Men and women have different optimal times for exercising, study says

BOSTON - A small study finds that the optimal time to work out may depend on whether you're a man or a woman.

For 12 weeks, researchers at Skidmore College followed more than 50 men and women between the ages of 25 and 55 who were considered "highly active," meaning they performed more than 30 minutes of physical activity four days a week or more.

They found when women worked out in the morning, they lost more fat and had greater reductions in blood pressure while working out at night promoted muscle strength and enhanced mood.

For men, working out in the evening promoted more fat loss and greater reductions in blood pressure compared to working out in the morning.

Differences in sleep patterns and hormone production between men and women may play a role. But in the end, people tend to perform best when they exercise at a time that fits best with their schedule and lifestyle, and getting physical activity any time of day is better than getting none.

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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